Unbearable Silence
by Rose Stetson
Summary: A future SG1 comes through the gate led by Lt. Colonel Carter and without a Jack counterpart. Rated T for suicidal content.
1. The Future Gone Wrong

**Unbearable Silence**

Summary: In response to Challenge #35 on sjchallenge; An alternate SG-1 comes through the Stargate led by Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter without Jack. "Lost City" didn't turn out the way we know it did- it was another 2010...

Pairing: Sam and Jack

_**Sam is Major Samantha Carter from the series. Carter or Col. Carter is the future Sam. The fic is centered around her primarily.**_

_**Anything in the body of the text that is italicized, is a flashback. If it is also bold, it is a flashback within a flashback…**_

_**Hope this doesn't get too confusing…

* * *

**_

Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter looked up to the control room, seeing Major General Lee Thompson doing what George Hammond had done for so long. He was the commander of the base. He was the one who made the decisions. And she was tired of his arrogant, self-righteous ways.

After they had annihilated Anubis's fleet, they should have been rejoicing. It had been the final battle in the long war against the Goa'uld. They now had the respect and fear of all of the system lords. They had, for the first time since the Stargates had been operated by the Goa'uld, become the dominant race in the galaxy.

They had freed the Jaffa from their dependence on symbiotes, killed the loyal Jaffa, and swept the rug out from under the feet of the system lords.

But instead of being overjoyed at their accomplishments, Samantha Carter felt loneliness and regret. General Hammond, Janet Fraiser, her father and Colo-Jack, were dead. Daniel Jackson and Teal'c were still there, they were still on SG-1, but even they had been changed. They all had changed after Jack's death.

_He sat reclined in the chair for the better part of an hour. He was trying to use the Ancient outpost there in Antarctica against Anubis. With great mental force, Jack opened a cavern in the floor and out poured thousands of glowing yellow drones. They broke forth from the depths of the ice and attacked the surface. Within the space of fifteen minutes, all of Anubis's ships were destroyed._

_**On their way to Proklarush Taonas, she had tried to tell him. "Sir, at your house before Daniel and Teal'c showed up, what I was gonna say was ..."**_

_**He had cut her off. "I know."**_

"_**Dammit, Jack! I LOVE YOU! Don't you get it? I haven't been able to tell you for years, and now…"**_

_**He had reached his hand toward her and caressed her cheek. "I love you too."**_

_**For the first time since he had put his head in that thing, the tears fell down her cheeks. Sure, they had almost fallen a few times between then and now, but…this was the first time that she allowed them to fall.**_

_**"Now, hand me your zat." **_

_She looked back at him. The chair had lost its glow, and so had Jack. She ran to his lifeless body. "Sir?"_

_She felt for a pulse. It was weak and erratic. "Sir."_

_She didn't receive any kind of response, and it scared her. "Don't you dare leave us now. We won."_

_He gave her a weak smile. "Samantha."_

_Then, he closed his eyes and exhaled for the last time._

Samantha blinked to keep the tears from falling.

"Sam, are you all right?" Daniel asked.

She nodded. "Move out."

Daniel and Teal'c looked at one another, then at the new member of the team, Major Cameron Mitchell. Daniel went through the Stargate first, then Teal'c, Cameron, and finally, Colonel Samantha Carter. She looked back at the SGC behind her. If this mission was a success, none of this would exist the way it did anymore. She would have single-handedly changed the past so that her future was better.


	2. Coming Home

_This is from the Season 4 SG-1's point of view. You'll be less confused as I continue to post...I promise!

* * *

_  
"Unscheduled incoming wormhole!" Sgt. Walter Davis announced.

General Hammond and SG-1 hurried to the Control Room. "Are we receiving an iris code?"

Walter looked at the screen. "Yes, sir."

They all waited for the announcement of the team in trouble when the Sergeant took a deep breath. "It's...SG-1."

Jack's eyes widened. "Um...hello!"

"Open the iris!" General Hammond said, urgently.

"Uh, sir, is that really such a good idea?" Sam asked.

"Do you have any other suggestions?"

"Um...no." She said with a reluctant nod.

She rushed into the Gate Room behind General Hammond, Colonel O'Neill, Daniel and Teal'c. The sight that met their eyes was surprising to all of them. Daniel Jackson, Teal'c, and another airman came through the Gate, shortly followed by Samantha Carter.

Daniel looked at the SG-1 that was staring at him. "Uh, General Hammond. Jack. What are you doing here?"

Sam looked at him. "We could say the same thing to you. Who are you?"

"We're from the future." Colonel Carter explained.

Sam raised her eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

"Uh, Sam...that technology we got from the Asgard to predict solar flares...that was supposed to prevent this from happening." Daniel said, his eyebrows lifted as he tried to whisper his point to his friend.

Carter walked down the ramp, her hand extended. "My name is Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter."

"Uh, what about the Grandfather paradox." Sam said, trying not to be impressed by her 'future' rank. "If you are anything like me, you would know..."

"I've changed." She said, curtly.

Jack took a deep breath, and eyed Carter with interest. "Oh, yeah...we noticed."

Her look softened as she looked into Jack's face. "I was hoping you'd be here."

"Sam." Her Daniel said, warningly. "We shouldn't be here."

"Daniel."

"You know that just as well as I do." He said, looking at the younger versions of the members of SG-1.

"You don't find it the least bit strange that we're here after we have the technology to make sure it never happens by accident?" She asked.

The Teal'c with hair and not the blond 'mojo' as Jack had dubbed it, stepped forward and outstretched his arm in a traditional Jaffa handshake. "It is good to see you again, old friend."

Jack let his eyes wander from this Teal'c to the Teal'c that he was accustomed to. "Good to...see you too!" He said with a mystified smile.

"Well, SG-1...the future SG-1...please report to the infirmary. We'll debrief later." General Hammond said, motioning them toward the infirmary.

"Don't worry, we know the way." Major Mitchell said, leading the way. Daniel cast a disapproving glance toward Colonel Carter and Teal'c followed, his gaze lingering on O'Neill. Daniel followed next, and Carter turned to General Hammond. "It's good to see you too, sir." She said with a sad smile.


	3. What To Do

The future SG-1 walked into the infirmary, somewhat dejectedly. "Sam, what the hell are you doing?" Daniel whispered.

She turned a critical eye to him. "What none of the rest of you had the courage to do. I'm going to save Colonel O'Neill the way he would- and did- save us."

"By changing the course of human history? Sam, that's dangerous!"

"That's what we do, Daniel. We take risks. We change things for the better!"

"Dr. Jackson, what's going on?" Janet Fraiser asked as she stepped out of the infirmary.

He took a deep breath as he stared at her. "Janet!"

"Yes."

Carter looked her Daniel in the eyes. "And you couldn't understand why I would do this." She accused, stepping past Janet into the infirmary.

"What's going on?" Janet asked. "Who's this?"

Daniel didn't even flinch at her questions. "Janet. It's me, Daniel. My...I can't believe it's really you!"

She looked at him with an odd look. Before she could get more confused, the resident Daniel ran through the hallways and caught up. "Dr. Fraiser! This-" He said, pointing to the SG-1 members around him, "is a future SG-1. Or so they claim."

Janet raised her eyebrows as she eyed the Daniel who had approached her earlier. "I'm not at the SGC there, am I?"

He gave her a mournful look.

_She was treating an injured airman in the field. They were running out of time; the Jaffa would find their position soon. Daniel, Simon, and Janet could all hear the fire to the side. Hopefully it was buying them the time that they needed. _

"_I'm almost done, Daniel. I need you to help me." She said, as she stitched up Simon's back._

"_What do you need?"_

"_Just hold him still. I don't have any local anesthetic. It's going to hurt like hell!" She cried._

"_Just take care of it, Doc. I just want to get home for my wife and baby!" Simon yelled._

"_You're going to make it!" Daniel assured._

_She concentrated for the next minute or so and as she finished the last stitch, she looked up. "All right! We're done!" She began to clean up the field. "Let's go!"_

_Just then, a staff blast came out of nowhere, striking the doctor in the back. She was dead before she hit the ground._

"_JANET!"_

"Dr. Jackson. Please come with me." She said, placing her and on his arm and leading him into the infirmary. He nodded and allowed her to lead him to a cot.

* * *

Meanwhile, the resident SG-1 was in the briefing room with General Hammond. "Does someone want to tell me what the hell is going on?"

"Well, sir, it looks like SG-1 traveled back in time because they used the Gate at the same precise moment that there was a solar flare. And…if I'm not mistaken, it was no accident."

"Carter," Jack began, confused, "didn't you say there was no way for someone to predict a solar flare?"

He won an impressed look from Daniel while Sam nodded. "That's right. But…maybe it's not entirely impossible for them."

"The other…me…did say that there was some Asgard technology that they were using to prevent this from happening." Daniel said.

"Exactly. What happened to make our future selves think that it was so important to go back and change the tide of world events?"

"I don't think it was the whole team, Carter." Jack said.

"What do you mean?"

"I got the feeling that Daniel- their Daniel- didn't agree. The other- you- knew and was glad that this had happened, and Teal'c didn't seem to mind, but…I don't think Daniel agreed."

"So, she did it for personal reasons?" The General asked.

"You think I would do something like this for personal gain?" Sam asked, eyeing her commanding officer.

"Carter, she's not YOU! She's Colonel Carter. Just like any other alternate reality."

She turned to him. "Actually, sir, this may be exactly the way I turn out. Maybe it's my life choices that make me into that person. She IS me." Then, she turned to the rest of the group. "Whatever we do, we cannot interact with her. It's too dangerous. We could change the course of history- not just for Earth, but for the rest of the universe."

"But if things are really that bad…" Jack said.

"Sir, we could just make them worse." She responded.


	4. To Say or Not to Say, What a Question!

Colonel Samantha Carter sat in the holding cell, trying not to get angry over her accommodations. She was supposed to be here to tell them what happened for cryin' out loud! She wasn't supposed to be locked up in a room with nobody to talk to. She was supposed to be finding out when they had returned to, be correcting the mistakes that she had allowed herself to make!

There was a knock on the door. "Come in."

The door opened to reveal Colonel Jack O'Neill. "Hi."

"Jack!" She said, standing.

"Jack?"

She took a deep breath. "Well, we are of the same rank now."

"Really?"

"Well, close enough."

"Lt. Colonel?"

She nodded. "I thought you weren't supposed to talk to me." She said, turning from him and clasping her hands behind her back.

"Well, I thought that was heartless if you and I really ever were friends."

She stopped pacing, turned to face him and returned to her intent study of the floor. "Friends."

He raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"Unscheduled Off-World Activation! Unscheduled Off-World Activation!" He looked at her, and then he ran off.

* * *

"We're receiving SG-7's IDC, sir."

"Open the iris!" General Hammond ordered.

"What's up?" Jack asked, as he approached Sam who was sitting at the dialing computer.

"SG-7 is coming in early from the negotiations with the Tok'ra high councilor. I don't think things have been going well."

"Aren't those the negotiations we were supposed to be at? You know, before this whole twin thing happened?"

She nodded as members of the Tok'ra and SG-1 came into the Gate Room. Jack and Sam raced into the room. "What's going on?"

"Major Graham was a za'tarc." Anise said, stepping down the ramp.

"And what are YOU doing here?" Jack asked.

"We are here to look for other za'tarcs among your personnel." She continued. "We wish for the proceedings to continue, but Lt. Astor made it quite clear that if the President's life is in danger, you would choose to abort such diplomacy at this time."

"You're damn right!" Hammond said. "What the hell is a za'tarc?"

"They're suicide terrorists who are ordinary human beings who have been brainwashed into their mission." Jacob said stepping through the Stargate just in time to hear Hammond's question.

"Dad!" Sam said, as she gave him a hug.

"Hey, kid!"

"I didn't think you were going to be able make it!" She said, stepping out of the embrace.

"Neither did I, but…I also heard about your little…problem." He said. "Where's the other you being held?"

"In a holding cell. She's kind of on house-arrest." Jack said, glancing at Sam.

"It's not my fault she came through, sir. As much as I would love to know what happened that would make her so bitter…"

"Sam, you're doing the right thing."

"I hate to break up this family reunion, but we have some important things to take care of." Anise said, motioning for Martouf to approach.

"We request permission to test all of your personnel for this condition."

"Jacob, a word with you in my office."

Jacob nodded.

"I'm going to go back to what I was doing before I was so rudely interrupted!" Jack said, glaring at Anise before he walked out of the Gate Room.

"Have I done something to offend Colonel O'Neill?" She asked, innocently.

"No." Sam replied, testily. "You just sent SG-1 into a situation where you weren't sure we were going to come back alive. That tends to make him a little…grouchy. But please accept my apologies for his behavior. Even you don't deserve it." She said as she walked up into the briefing room.

* * *

"Jacob, tell me that the Tok'ra really have our people's best interests at heart here."

"George, I heard about the last incident that you had with Anise. She's one of our more…experimental scientists. Quite frankly, I think she would sell her own mother to get further in some experiment."

"Jacob…"

"I'm sorry. I think she's our only hope of continuing this venue of negotiations. Without her help, the US will suspend negotiations and all that we've worked for over the last few years will be lost."

"I hate it when it boils down to that." Hammond said, sitting in his chair. "I guess I have a phone call to make."

* * *

Jack knocked on Colonel Carter's door again. "Come in." He heard.

"Hey, how are you doing?"

"I'm fine. What happened?"

"Well…" he stopped. "You've already lived this stuff…so…we're looking for these zarc thingies…"

She paled and closed her eyes. "No!"

"What?"

"You…we…" She turned and looked at him with a very fierce look. "You cannot be afraid of a court martial. You have to say everything that you were thinking!"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Swear to me that you will tell her everything!"

"Who?"

"Just…" She became despondent. "Don't let everything stay in that damn room! It'll never come out!"

Jack just looked at her. "Carter, you're not making any sense!"

She turned her sad eyes to him. "I'm not your Carter. I never have been, and I never will be."

"What?"

"Just…just go. I thought…I thought this would make everything easier, but…" She closed her eyes. "Just go."

With that, Jack turned and left.


	5. Why?

_Sorry it's been so long since I updated this story...hope you enjoy this installment!_

_--_

"I completed my autopsy on Major Graham." Janet said, walking toward the General. "There was an unidentifiable residue from the explosion, but no indication he was under any kind of chemical influence. To be honest, sir, if the Goa'uld were trying to cover up their work, they did a good job."

"What about the infomation about the za'tarcs provided by the Tok'ra?" He asked, hoping for some good news.

"Pretty limited to speculation, sir. I did a full examination of Major Graham before he went to Vorash, and he seemed to be in perfect health. His bloodwork was clean, last psych evaluation was normal. If his brain was altered in any way, it was done by a technology far beyond my understanding."

"Will this za'tarc detector actually work?"

She shook her head, indicating her ignorance. "It's alien technology. I have no way of knowing."

"Then we're completely in the hands of the Tok'ra on this one."

"And the other SG-1." She added, a grim smile was cast over her mouth. "Colonel must be happy about that."

"I'm not thrilled about it myself, doctor."

_--_

"What?" The older Daniel asked.

"I'm sorry…What's the significance?" The resident Daniel asked himself.

"I can't tell you…"

"Of course not."

"Look…we shouldn't even be here, and if it hadn't been for Sam, we wouldn't be."

"Yeah, what happened to make her want to come back here so badly?"

"Nothing." He said, standing up more defiantly.

"Nothing?"

"That's what I said."

"Okay..."

"Look, I'm tired. You should probably go."

"Where?"

"To wherever the hell it is that you need to go…" He said, with a tired look on his face.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"If you're…"

"I'm sure."

--

"Well, as we suspected, the…future me isn't talking. I'm sure it has something to do with the whole grandfather paradox…"

"Are we sure that we want to know what's going on?" Sam asked, looking at the guys. "I mean…we are in WAY over our heads."

"The reactions we got from both Dr. Jackson and Colonel Carter indicate that something colossal happens here. I'd like to know what it is." General Hammond said, earnestly.

"All due respect, sir, I don't think that's a good idea. Changing the past is playing god."

"Carter…" Jack said, his eyebrows raised.

"Sir, admit it…changing the course of the entire universe…doesn't that sound like SOMEBODY is playing god?"

"Sam, I don't think that's it…the other…you…obviously thought that it was something worthy of changing…"

"Daniel, there's no way that she could have known exactly where she would have been spit out…it would have been a guess."

"So…she's running." Jack said, looking at the General before trying to indicate to Sam to let the matter rest.

"From what?" George Hammond asked, surprised.

"From whatever happened in her timeline."

"And that would be…?" Daniel asked.

"There's only one thing that I could think of…" Sam offered.

"What?"

She turned crimson. "I'm sorry, did I say that out loud?"

"Yes, Major, you did." Hammond said, looking at her for an explanation.

She coughed. "Destruction of her friends and family, but…that can't be the case. I mean, Daniel and Teal'c were right there with her."

"Right." Jack said, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that his own death had triggered the extreme response.


End file.
